Cushion head pin



United States Paren CUSHION HEAD PIN Robert L. Rednond and Lawrence H.Heuer, Detroit,

Mich., assignors to Automotive Spring Company, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application June 21, 19 49, Serial No. l00,416

8 Claims. (Cl. 16-86) This invention relates to a cushon head pin andhas particularly to do with a button type of cushon which is fastened atvarious places to provide a resilient pad. It is an object of theinvention to provide a cushon head pin which has a resilient clippingConstruction inherent therein and which is easily formed to a definiteshape by the method to be described herein.

Preferably the invention consists of a spring clip means having aportion to be embodied in a cushon head, a paper button telescoped oversaid head portion, the assembly then being dipped to fill and surroundthe button.

It is an object of the invention to provide a button which can be madewith a single dipping as compared with some constructions which requireseveral dips to obtain the necessary body and thickness for thecushioning function.

It is a further object to provide unusual clip constructions which adaptthemselves to fastening the button in apertured plates.

Other objects and features of the invention relatng to details ofConstruction and operation will be apparent in the following descriptionand claims.

A drawing accompanies the specification, and the varous views thereofmay be briefly descrbed as:

Figure l, a sectional view showing the application of the buttons in acushioning position between two parts.

Figure 2, a plan view of a blank used n formng a holding clip.

Figure 3, a view of the formed clp pror to assembly.

Figure 4, a view of the skeleton button. 0

Figure 5, a view of the assembled button and clp pror to dipping.

Figure 6, a vew showng the button after a dppng operation.

Figure 7, a view of a modfied type of clp.

Figure 8, a view of the clip assembled wth the paper button prior todipping.

Figure 9, a sectional vew showng the dppng operation completed. O

Referring to Figure 2, the fastenng clp blank cons sts of a straightpiece of flat resilient material 20 hav ng semi-circular heads 22integral therewth and extendng transversely of the ends. In the processof formng the unit to be described, the blank 20 s bent n the mddle toform a bight portion 24, the legs extendmg outwardly therefrom inportions 26 and back toward each other n portions 28 to enclose adiamond shaped aperture. Th e heads 22 are bent to lie in a common planewhch s normal to the axis of the formed legs as shown n Fgure 3. InFigure 4 a cup 30 is shown preferably formed of a drawn piece ofcardboard, paper, or other fibrous m aterial to have a base 32 and sidewalls 34. For use n a cushon head pin the side walls would have suchflexblty as not to interfere with the cushon function. The cup diameteris so dimensioned relative to the heads 22 that when the heads areinserted in the cup there wll be a slight outward pressure of the heads22 against the walls 34. The resilience of the legs 28 wll mantam theparts together for the dipping operaton shown n Fgure 6 where a tank 36of a lquid dispersion of rubber or smlar material is provided. Thedipping could, of course, be

accomplished by hand but in production would probably 7 be performed bya conveyor system wherein the cupped end of the clip is dipped forpre-determmed tme n the bath, depending upon the coating desiregl andthe consistency of the material. As shown in lfgure 6 the cup isinserted right side up so that when mmersed t wll 2,703,428 PatentedMar. 8, 1955 fill with the coating material and also the material willcoat the outside of the cup with a definite thickness. The drawingexaggerates the thickness on the outer walls of the cup. The projectingleg portions 26, 28 then extend from the cushon end of the unit and maybe snapped nto place in an aperture plate 40 as shown in Figure 1. Thecushioned end then provides a resilient pad for any Contacting member42. For example, these cushon head pns may be used undemeath the hood ofan automobile to provide a cushon stop and an anti-rattle spacer.

In Figure 7 I have shown a modified type of construction formed ofspring wire in which a circular loop of wire 50 has legs extendngupwardly therefrom centrally of the circle 50. These legs have crossingportions 56 at the ends and outwardly extendng portions 58 which projectdown toward the center of the circle. As in Figure 3 it will be seenthat the legs enclose 'a diamond shaped area. The head 50 is dimensionedto be received snugly in the cup 30 and the dipping operation shown inFigure 9 is similar to that described in connection with Figure 6.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an excellent cushon head pinwith the resilient extendng legs serving as fastening portions and alsoserving during the manufactu'ing steps to hold the parts in assembly.One dip in the coating material is usually adequate to complete theentire cushon due to the cup which fills and coats simultaneo-usly.

What we claim is:

1. A cushon head pin which comprises a core having a head and a shank, acup of relatively light, flexible material surrounding the head andhaving a Volume capacity materially greater than the head portion, and abody of soft, compressible material such as rubber filling the cup toembed the head of the core and surrounding the outer walls and bottom ofthe cup to envelope the cup to provide a unitary resilient cushon headadapted to be distorted upon application of pressure thereto, said shankportion remaining free to function as a fastening element for the head.

2. A cushon head pin which comprises a core having a head and a shank, acup of relatively light, flexible material surrounding the head andhaving a Volume capacity materially greater than the head portion andengaged with the head portion, and a body of soft, compressible materialsuch as rubber filling the cup to embed the head of the core andsurrounding the outer walls and bottom of the cup to envelope the cup toprovide a unitary resilient cushon head adapted to be distorted uponapplication of pressure thereto, said shank portion remaining free tofunction as a fastening element for the head.

3. A bumper pad and prong holder which comprises a metal core having ahead portion and a shank holding portion extendng away from the generalplane of the head portion, a cup of relatively light, compressiblematerial having a Volume capacity materially greater than the headportion and surrounding the head portion and a part of the shankportion, and a soft, resilient material filling the cup and surroundingthe outer surfaces thereof and anchoring the head portion, said holdingportion remaining free to function as a fastening element for the head.

4. A bumper pad and prong holder which comprises a metal core having ahead portion and a holding portion extendng away from the general planeof the head portion, a cup formed of inexpensive fibrous material suchas paper telescoping over the head portion of the core and a part of theholding' portion, and a coating of soft material such as rubbersurrounding the bottom and outside cup walls and filling the cup on theinside to embed the head portion of the core and that part of theholding portion within the cup, said holding portion remaining free tofunction as a fastening element for the head.

5. A bumper pad and prong holder as defined in claim 5 4 in which thecup has relatively straight cylindrical walls and the head portion andthe cup are associated with the head portion engaging the interior ofsaid walls to remain frictionally engaged independently of the rubbercoating.

6. A bumper pad and prong holder which comprises a core having a headportion and a holding portion formed head, the ends being bent n a planenormal to the plane of the head to enclose a. diamond-shaped area insaid` normal plane, a paper cup frictionally engagng said head tosurround the head and a portion of said ends, and a soft material suchas rubber filling the cup and eoating the outer walls and bottom thereofto anchor the head portion, said holding portion remaining free tofunction as a fastening element for the head.

7. A headed pin as dened in claim 2 in which the core is formed of asingle piece of strip resilient metal having tab ends extendinglaterally thereof, said metal being bent to bring those ends together ina plane at the end of a damond-shaped enclosure formed by the stripitself, said cup being formed of fibrous material and receiving thoseends, the resilience of the strip urging those of a single piece of w'recurved in one plane to form the ends against the side walls of the cupto engage the cu 8. A bumper pad and prong holder which comprises astrip of resilent material bent upon itself to form spaced legs, a cupof paper material over the free ends of said legs held in place by theresilience of the legs acting on the walls, anchoring means on the endsof the legs, and a soft material such as rubber filling the cup andcoating the walls and bottom thereof and embedding the anchorng means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,191,412 Pihl Feb. 20, 1940 2,267,558 Fernberg Dec. 23, 1941 2,455,669Gagnier Dec. 7, 1948

